Say No to the Trade Union Bill

Say no to the (anti) Trade Union Bill being imposed here!

What the UK Conservative government is calling the ‘Trade Union Bill’ is in reality a threat to all of our rights at work. The Bill will make law a wide range of measures that will significantly restrict trade unions and working people from organising collectively around just our basic rights at work.

The legislation will:

·Impose a minimum 50% turnout in strike ballots

·Insist public sector strikes in ‘essential services’ have the backing of at least 40 % of those eligible to vote

·Abolish the deduction of union subscriptions directly from payroll in the public sector

·Restrict facility time on all those providing public services

·Allow employers to bring in agency staff to cover for striking workers

·Impose a 4 month time limit for industrial action mandates

·Criminalise ‘unlawful’ pickets – everyone at a picket line with more than 6 people!

Despite widespread public opposition the Bill was voted through the House of Commons by the Conservative majority and is currently going through the House of Lords.

But we have a chance to stop it in Wales

Three key areas of the legislation that impact on our public services and public service workers in Wales; facility time, ‘check off’ and the threshold for industrial action relate to areas – the NHS, local government and other public services – that are wholly the responsibility of the Welsh Government not the UK Government.

In order for these parts of the Bill that impact on us to become law, the UK Government needs the consent of the Welsh Government. The Welsh Labour Government is opposed to the Bill being imposed in Wales and has tabled a motion of consent to be voted on in the Welsh Assembly on 26th January.